From Boney M. to Rammstein: pop and rock from Germany

America invented rock’n’roll, England gave us beat music. But Germany too has played its part in shaping the history of pop and rock. Psychedelic krautrock became a byword for German music in the 1970s and 'Munich Disco' enriched the dance-pop scene and paved the way for techno. Punk, hardrock and electronica from Germany are also popular around the world.

They're masters of the rock power ballad, and their songs like Still Loving You, Send Me An Angel and most notably Wind Of Change were worldwide hits. The Scorpions' album Love At First Sting (1984) even went triple platinum in the USA.

Tangerine Dream's wistful, meditative synthesiser sounds inspire the imagination. For many years, the group has also provided hypnotic soundtracks for hit films such as Risky Business and Legend (both featuring Tom Cruise).

It was a two-man band: Dieter Bohlen, the composer, lyricist, musician and singer, and Thomas Anders, the lead singer with the high voice. They sold more than 100 million copies of their catchy dance pop songs with a computerised beat.